8 Teams in 8 Days: Medley a sizeable contributor for Exeter football

Friday

Aug 30, 2013 at 2:00 AMAug 30, 2013 at 6:15 PM

EXETER — Max Medley knows the jokes are coming. He eats them up.

RYAN O'LEARY

EXETER — Max Medley knows the jokes are coming. He eats them up.

The Exeter High School football team is hosting a preseason jamboree with Lawrence (Mass.) and Rutland (Vt.). The break from two-a-days, the interaction with different players from different schools, it's about as lighthearted as it gets in Exeter's no-nonsense training camp.

And there's Medley, sticking out like a sore thumb. His helmet and shoulder pads only add more size to his lean, 6-foot-6 frame. No matter where you're sitting in the bleachers, there's no missing No. 85 as he stands in the huddle or lines up on the field.

He never gets a passing glance on the basketball court, where he fits the mold of a high school center and has dominated since his youth. But it's different on the football turf, where the ribbing from the Lawrence players is about as predictable as the game's kickoff itself.

"I do get that," Medley said of the laughs. "All those kids are always commenting on how tall I am. I get a kick out of it. We're all out there having fun."

It seems easy — especially for opposing quarterbacks — to pick on the larger-than-life senior who anchors the back end of Exeter's defense.

Think again: It's a challenge Medley and the Blue Hawks are ready for.

As Exeter works to replace 23 seniors — most of whom were instrumental in the program's second straight Division I championship last fall — replacing the defensive backfield remains priority No. 1.

That's where Medley comes in. He's one of four team captains, so long, quick and athletic that he could transcend the way Exeter plays defense in the new 20-team Division I.

"You look at him and say he's thin and this and that," Exeter coach Bill Ball said, "but he's worked hard in the weight room. He's what I call a space eater in the secondary. He covers a lot of space. He's got good ball skills. He's able to fill the off-tackle hole, which is paramount in our defense."

The Blue Hawks will use their dynamic senior in a variety of ways. He played mostly cornerback last season, but he's made the transition to free safety this summer. He covers so much ground in the secondary that it takes pressure off the corners, which will be first-year starters on both sides.

Medley will also be a threat as a tight end on offense, coupling his size and leverage in the blocking game with his speed and length in the passing game.

"He's an athlete," Ball said. "He's one of the captains. He's taken the leadership role very seriously. He's a no-nonsense guy. He knows how to compete."

It's something he learned growing up, something you can't really avoid with two brothers, one three years older and the other a twin. It was the oldest Medley, Billy, who started playing football as early as the fourth grade. Max figured he might as well follow in his big brother's footsteps.

But it's never been just about football and basketball for Max. It's been about everything sports — from lacrosse to track and field. He joined Exeter's boys lacrosse program as a freshman before deciding his AAU basketball commitments made things too hectic in the spring. To fill the void, he joined the outdoor track team last season and competed all over, from the sprints, to the distance runs, to the long jump and the javelin.

"I always just want to be doing something," Medley said. "A lot of people just talk about their offseasons. I usually don't have one and I like that. I'm never feeling sore. I'm never feeling out of shape. I've always kind of enjoyed that feeling."

All these skills have helped make him a better all-around athlete. He's learned how to get his legs ready for a jump in track, the same way he might rise above the rim for a dunk in basketball. He's learned how to power through an 800-meter run, the same way he'll need his legs as a run blocker in the fourth quarter of a football game.

Medley's got all the intangibles to be a breakout player for the Blue Hawks this fall, and his team expects it.

All joking aside.

"I love football. It's always been my favorite sport whether I was the best at it or not," Medley said. "In football, we come out like 'This is our year' every game. We don't even think. We don't look back. We just look forward. There's no feeling like it."

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